Improvement in hand-trucks



' B. L. PRATT.

Hand-Truck.

No. 166,140 Patented m 27,1375.

WITNESSES W mums.

.N. PETERS.\FHO-TO-UNOGR4PHER. WASHINGTON, 'DJQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENTLY L. PRATT, OF LE RAYSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-TRUCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,140, dated July 27, 1875; application filed May 17, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENTLY L. PRATT, of Le Raysville, in the county of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Truck; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 tudinal sectional elevation.

The invention relates to means whereby a warehousetruck or similar vehicle may .be easily, conveniently, and cheaply wheel-locked, so as to allow of greater facility in loading.

The invention consists in ratcheting the inner edge of wheels and applying a detentpawl upon each side, said pawls being -'both attached to the same head, held aloof from the wheels by the same spring, and provided with the same movable stem, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

A represents the truck-frame, and B B the wheels. The latter have the notches or ratchetteeth b on the inside and preferably near their a longiperiphery. O G are the detent-pawls, pivoted to a common head. D, through which passes,

and to which is rigidly fastened, the springstem E. The latter passes through guideloops E E while between the head D and the loop E is located the circumjacent coilspring F. This ordinarily, by its retractive tension, holds the detent-pawls away from the wheels; but when the slide is carried forward by the stem the pawls engage the wheels and effectually lock them. 6 is a foot-stud for convenience in forcing forward the stem, while there may be a spring'stop of any form over which the stem catches and is retained in position. By this simple device much time, trouble, and annoyance are saved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- Abrake for warehouse-trucks and analogous vehicles, consisting of the spring-slide, head, pawls, and ratcheted Wheels, as shown and described.

BENTLY L. PRATT. Witnesses:

D. S. CODDING, G. H. HUMPHREY. 

